FLUTE WINS COSTAIN AWARD FOR SUSTAINABILITY

Posted on 11 October 2017Posted by Mary Dorrington Ward

Construction giant Costain has praised Flute for ‘a remarkable contribution’ to the circular economy and the company’s drive to eliminate waste.

In the first ever Costain sustainability awards, held this month in London, Flute was commended for its partnership approach to providing the company with an industry-leading solution to the provision of site offices and modular buildings.

Gren Edwards, Director of Rail at Costain, said the site office eco cabins combined with Flute’s interior fitout made entirely from waste provided a fantastic solution that should be adopted across the industry. “You really have to see these cabins for yourself to understand what a significant leap forward we are making,” he said. “It is innovations like these that will keep Costain ahead of the curve.”

The construction industry generates more than half of all the waste produced annually in the UK and is striving to meet ambitious new environmental targets demanded by clients such as Highways England and HS2. Using the Flute model no newly extracted or harvested raw materials are used in the provision of site accommodation for workers, and all materials are taken back and reused to make new products once the project has finished.

Julian Dunn, Programme Director at Costain, said the demands of the emerging circular economy could only be met through supply chain innovation and Costain was determined to play a leadership role. “We are no longer interested only in the price of what we procure but in the contribution made to the health and wellbeing of our staff and customers and of the wider community and the planet as well,” he said.

Flute is working with Costain and six other other tier one construction companies on major infrastructure projects including Thames Tideway, Crossrail, and HS2.

Flute’s circular economy solution uses waste cardboard, paper, wood and plastic to create bright modern interiors with a carbon footprint 85% lower than using conventional materials – and at a lower total life cost. The Flute model removes the headache and cost of disposal at the end of the project and ensures total resource efficiency by reusing all materials to make more high value items. No skips, no landfill, no incineration and additional points under the Considerate Constructors Scheme.

An added bonus is the creation of working environments that are much more attractive and pleasant to work in than typical site offices, courtesy of Flute’s beautifully designed and manufactured products.

Flute sales director David Chandler said: “We are very proud to be honoured in this way by Costain. They have an incredibly positive approach to innovation and a willingness to be an early adopter of new technology. By rolling out the Flute solution across the organisation we will be able to make a meaningful impact on the amount of waste created in construction.”